Foot guard



un 30, 1936. A. A. STRAUSS FOOT GUARD Filed Aug. 20, 1955 Sheets-Sheet l AZberZAQ ksfirautfs June '1936 uss FOOT GUARD Filed Aug. 20, 1935 3 Sheets-Shee t 2 A.JirauJ- June 30, 1936. ST I 2,046,217

FOOT GUARD I Filed Aug. 20, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Li r W Alberi A Strauss Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to foot guards adapted to be attached to the shoes of workmen to protect the feet from injury by heavy blows produced by falling articles.

In mines, quarries and the like, workmen are constantly in danger of having their feet injured by the fall of heavy chunks of coal or rock. In rollingmills and other industrial plants where workmen are required to handle billets and other heavy objects, there is constant danger from the accidental dropping or falling of objects.

Among the objects of the present invention are the provision of an efiicient shoe guard which may be readily attached to the shoe, and is normally held in position out of contact with the shoe, or with the ground, so that it does not interfere with the stepping of the wearer but is permitted to yield under the effect of a blow or a falling weight. A further object is to provide means for positively holding or securing the guard against sliding movements on the shoe. A further object is to provide resilient means for normally lifting the guard above the shoe with the bottom edge of the guard raised a short distance 25 above the ground so that the sole of the shoe projects slightly below the guard.

The above mentioned and other objects will appear from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a foot guard embodying my invention and showing the same applied to a shoe with the guard in normal position, the upper forward part being broken away to show the lifting spring which resiliently supports the guard above the shoe.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the guard shown in Fig. 1.

40 Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1, with the forward part of the sole of the shoe broken away.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the forward part of the guard showing a modified form of the lifting spring.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of my foot guard applied to a shoe, showing the spring arms which carry the locking or securing clips attached at the upper part of the arch of the guard instead of the bottom, as in Fig. l.

Figure 7 is a transverse section taken on the line 1--'| of Fig. 6.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a modification of the locking spring supports provided with spurs to engage the heel of the shoe.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of 5 one of the spring supporting arms provided with the heel engaging spurs shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Figures 11 and 12 are fragmentary sectional views of the forward position of my foot guard showing further modifications of they resilient 10 lifting, device. a

Figures 13 and 14 are side elevation and bottom plan views respectively of a form of my invention having pairs of spring arms attached upon opposite sides of the foot guard which are provided with clips engaging the sole of the shoe adjacent the toe and at the instep.

Figures 15 and 16 are side elevation and bottom plan views respectively showing a different arrangement of the supporting spring arms.

The body I of my foot guard conforms approximately to the shape of the shoe and is formed of any suitable rigid material capable, when formed as an arch, of suppporting heavy blows or weights without deformation and is preferably 25 pressed or stamped from a relatively light gage metal sheet. The sheet metal may be made more rigid if desired in the usual manner by means of corrugations or ribs 2.

In order to support the foot guard out of contact with the shoe and also maintain the bottom edges 3 above the ground when in normal position, I-provide means for positively fastening the rearward portion of the guard to the sole of the shoe and support the forward portion of the guard yieldingly by means of resilient devices attached to the underside of the guard. When the bottom of the guard rests normally on the ground, there is an up and down sliding movement of the guard over the shoe in walking and 40 the engagement of the bottom edge of the guard with the ground impedes the free movements of the feet. I have overcome these objections by resiliently suspending the guard above the shoe and out of contact with the ground, while permitting the guard to instantly yield and transmit the effect of a blow or falling object directly to the ground.

In order to positively support the guard at the rear I provide clips 5 which clamp the opposite surfaces of the sole of the shoe at the instep. These clamps or clips are carried at the free ends of spring tension arms 6, which are riveted at their forward ends to the lower margin of the guard, as indicated at I. The spring arms 6 are the clips firmly about the sole.

hanced, thus securing a firmer locking grip of the clips upon the shoe sole.

V In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and'7, the

spring arms 6 are formed into an integral arch riveted at the center to the arch of the guard.

' 'It thus constitutes a reinforcement to the guard throughout this arched engagement. Theout wardly curved arms in this form afford an increased cushioning efiect in a vertical: direction to absorb shocks andiblows Instead of anchoring the springarmsrfi to the sole at. the instep, they may be arranged to an- '7 chor at. the heel "as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9. In

this case the upper lip of the clamp may be bevelled as 'shown' a't 5* to wedge between the sale, which forms the base of the'heel, and the bodyof the shoe, in the manner indicated-in The lower lip of the clamp may be re- .placed by a prong or pin 5 "formed or struck up in=the metal belowthe "bevelledlip 5 The free ends'of the spring arms are thus securely held and anchored to the heel extension of the sole between the lip E 'and prong 5 forrning the clamp. I r a 'I-heforw'ard portion of the foot guard is re siliently supported above the shoe by spring member fastenedto the inner wall "of the guard and bearing at its free end upo-n'the toe portion of the shoe. Inthe form shown inFigs. l and 3, a flat leaf spring 50 is riveted at T2 to the guard and projects forwardly with it's free end b'ear-ing' upon the shoe. A cushioning pad I 4 of leather orother suitable material may be'secure'd to the springat the point of engagement with the shoe.

In'the fo-rm shown in Figs. 4 and 5 thelsupportingrspi'i'ng is riveted'atone side of the guard and inFig. 12 it isriveted' atthelower front edge of the'guard. Instead of aflat or leaf spring rmay employ a helical-spring 1 I1 as ind'icated in Fig. 1'1. In each of these arrangements, the guard is yieldingly supportedat. its forward-portion and normally maintained resiliently suspended out of contact-with the shoe andwith its bottom edge a'bove'the groundor' floor. 7 ofthe 'guardis securely locked oranchored' toithe sole of the shoe'by the clamping members on the free ends of. theitension spring arms 6,. so that there-is 'n'o slipping or vertical s'lidingmovem'ent ofthe gu'ards'when the wearer'is walking nor is there'any dragging of theguard on the ground. Insteadbfsupporting the guard at the forward end by means of a resilient member 10 or ID? bearing upon .th'etop of the toe of the shoe, I'may provide a pair of spring armsB rivetedor other-p wise attached to the guard, the arms being '.pro-. vided withclasps 'or clips 5-havingears-or: lugs 5 which project over-the edgesof the sole upon either side. v The front and rear i pairs. may be i made separately and'riveted together asindi- In Figs. 15 and cated on the lower side of Fig. 14,or they may be; made integral as-indicated; on the upper side of'Fig. 14. I

carriedby an arcuate springflfi rivetedto the inner-side o'f-th'e t'oe portion: of the "guard. In

t the arrangements shown in Figs. 13 to 16; the

foot rguardis; resiliently supported and-suspended scope of my claims. 7 i

The rearward portion ported by the sole with its lower edge above the ground or floor. r

The spring arms hold the guard centrally,

located over the shoe, while the location of the clasps or clips prevent slipping movement. 7 r

I have illustrated and described several forms of my invention for thepurpose of clearly disclosing it but it will beevident that other modifications and changes may be made within I claim:

*1. foot guard comprising an integral rigid. body adapted toextend over the instep and toe of ;a shoe, 'spring'tension arms fastened to the rearwardportion of said body and provided at their freeends withinturned portions forming clamping devices provided with means to engage the opposite surfaces. of the sole .of. a. shoe and. .resili'ent meansssecured to: the; inner wall. :of said bodyuand positioned to bear uponxthe toe of the shoe to thereby yieldingly support said :body spacedirom theishoe atxallipoints. 2. A. foot guard comprising 'awmetallic shield adapted to extend over the instep and toe. of a ishoe,'a.pair-of spring. arms fastened to said shield and carrying clips-at .their free ends, said clips having projectingsmembers adapted to embrace the upper and lower' surfaces. of .the' sole of the shoe to secure the garmsl.=against sliding movement on the sole; spring means secured to, the

inner wall of said shield and bearing upon the shoe to normally hold the. shield in spaced relation to the shoe. whilegpermitting the shield to :move downwardly towardthe: shoe under the imany forward or backward the" pactiof'a blow-orthe weightofja fallingbody.

3.. A. footiguard comprising a'metallic shield adaptedgto .extendmver the instep andtoe of a shoega pair-of spring arms fastened-to'said shield and, carrying fasteningdevicesiat their free ends provided with means for engaging .the'sole of the shoe andsecurely h'olding. said ends against sliding movernent thereon, and a spring device secured to the inner wall, of .thezshield andadapted to bear upon the forwardpo'rtion of. the; shoe to normally mainta-in the shield spaced from the shoe with its bottom edge above the ground or supporting surface.

fastening devices being provided with one or p more sharp. prongsadaptedto penetrate the sole or heel of the shoe.

'5. Afoot guardcomprising an.arcuate metallic shield adapted to eiterfd" over fthe'instep and toe of ashoe, pairs offspring arm's fastened to said shield and "carrying clips at theirf'fre'eiends adapted tobear against'the edge ofi'the 'sole and having meansw preve'rit'slidiri'g or slipping move menttherecn'said "springarms supporting the shield resiliently above the shoe and centrally lo'cated"thereover: K H g V 16. Afoot guard 'compris'ingen arcuate metallic shield adapted to extendpver'the'instep andtoe shield carrying clips 'at their free -'-ends adapted to bear against the-edge of the sole at' the: instep and adjacent? thetoe oi the shoe, said i 7 clips 'beingprovided-with ears: or lugs-adapted 70' to project -above and belowthe sole; .saidsprin'g 7 arms resiliently supporting the sh'iel'cl above the shoe andcentrallyrdisposed..thereoven .1. anenarnfs 'raaosa we:

7 of "a shoe, pairs'of spring-arm's fastened "to said .51.: v 4.. In a foot guard asset forthin claim 3, said 

